When the Last Leaf Falls
by PearLynn
Summary: Two and a half years after Sasuke Uchiha left Konoha, he has returned with news of a growing threat in the North. In an effort to stop the possibility of another war, Team Seven reunites to take on this new enemy. Loyalties will be tested, faith will be shaken, and love with emerge in the midst of battle. SasuSaku. *ON HIATUS INDEFINITELY*
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything affiliated with it.

 _ **A/N** This is my first chaptered Sasusaku story. I've been reading a bunch of fanfiction for this pairing lately (only completed stories because I'm picky) and I've found that I haven't found anything like this yet. And I'm a firm believer in write what you want to read, so here you all go. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Prologue**

There was a slow whirring in his ears, droning on and on endlessly to the point that it had woken him up. The lights above him were bright, penetrating his eyelids well enough to make him wonder how _that_ hadn't been the reason he was now awake. A subtle breeze was hitting his right cheek, like feathery kisses dancing across his skin.

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he realized he knew exactly where he was: a hospital. He experienced these little things enough to figure it out, and a nostalgic feeling crept into his chest, making him realize that he was in the hospital belonging to Konoha. The familiar putrid color of the walls told him that alone, but the smell of the air and the plain familiarity of the area confirmed it.

He blinked away the bleariness in his eyes and began to vaguely remember the last thing to happen to him before everything went blank. He battled Naruto- for how long, it slipped his mind- and he helped lift the Infinite Tsukuyomi and released the Tailed Beasts from their prisons. After that he seemed to have blacked out.

Now, he was laying in the hospital bed and sore in every place possible- even in some he didn't think could get sore. He wasn't even this beat after his battle with Itachi. Now it just hurt to even breathe. With a grunt, he began an attempt to sit up. But as soon as his head lifted off of the pillow, the door opened and someone entered, their face hidden by a manilla folder.

"Well," his visitor said, voice cheery and warm and so familiar it made Sasuke's heart hum.

 _Sakura._

Her face peered over the top of the folder, smile bright and eyes glittering, as she chirped, "Good to see you're awake, Sasuke-kun!"

His head plopped back down onto his pillow- he gave up trying to sit up for a moment- and he squeezed his eyes shut as he groaned, "I feel like I'm dead."

"That's bound to happen. After all you've been through lately, I wouldn't doubt that even with the most extensive healing from us you'd still be stiff."

Sasuke felt her hand rest on his forehead, causing him to shiver at the coldness of her skin, and she murmured something about his fever not being gone. There was a scribbling noise- a pen scratching on paper- and some silence before some more scratching.

After a while, the bed shifted and Sasuke peered down to see that Sakura sat right next to his knees. She smiled at him again, stirring something in his stomach that he swore wasn't nausea, and she said, "But you seem to have healed up almost completely, which is good."

Sasuke made to push himself up, but as soon as he went to put weight on his left hand he went crashing down off of his bed. Sakura gave a shout of surprise and jumped up as he hit the floor. For a second, he had no idea why he slipped like that. He wasn't even that close to the edge of the bed, not to mention now he was tangled up in his sheets and had a face full of linoleum because of his blunder.

He went to push himself up again and suddenly realized why he fell. His left arm was gone from mid-bicep down. He would have slapped himself for forgetting that very important change in his life, but his only hand was busy being tugged on by Sakura and the wrapped up stump where his elbow should have been was just pressing uselessly against the floor.

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" he heard Sakura ask. He nodded as she pulled him to his feet and helped him settle back under the sheets on his bed. He watched as her eyes drifted to the shortened appendage and a frown grew on her lips. "I wish I could do more for you. But there was too much damage... I'm sorry."

He just stared at her solemnly. Sasuke knew the second his Chidori collided with Naruto's Rasengan that he would either die or be maimed. Luckily for him it was the latter, but now as he looked down at the nub covered in bandages he wished he hadn't done it at all. Losing an arm was a lot more painful than one would have thought. Not just initially. Now he'd have to live with this for the rest of his life.

Sakura quickly changed the subject and began questioning how he was feeling, if he was experiencing any residual pain, what he was thinking. He had pointed out how his now-useless arm was feeling tingly and had shooting pains running up and down towards his shoulder, so Sakura placed her hands on the skin and pressed her chakra into him.

Their eyes met momentarily, but she averted hers almost instantly to focus on his arm. She murmured something about the bones and began weaving her arms around, massaging him with her chakra.

"Tsunade has picked a successor for Hokage," she said to him, keeping her eyes away.

"Hn."

"Don't you want to know who it is?"

"If it's the dobe, I swear..."

Sakura giggled, causing the corners of Sasuke's lips to twitch into a small smile. Though he wouldn't admit it out loud, her laugh was still as uplifting and bubbly as he remembered from his genin days. Her grin grew as she shook her head and replied, "No, she picked Kakashi."

He nodded once, humming in acknowledgement. It didn't surprise him, really, that Kakashi was picked to be the next Hokage. Just the timing. Wouldn't it be absolutely idiotic for Tsunade to leave her post _right_ after the war ended and drop all of the repercussions onto the shoulders of her successor? Sasuke had no doubt that Kakashi would most likely do a good job. But perhaps now wasn't the best time for the Sannin to decide to retire.

"I'm sure he'll do just fine," Sakura said, as if she read his thoughts, while she pulled her hands away from his arm. "But I don't think Shishou should have picked so soon. I bet she's just itching to leave this place."

 _I don't blame her._

Sasuke winced at that thought. He just returned to Konoha. Why should he be so anxious to leave again? He knew the answer to that, though. It seemed like he needed to leave as well. He felt like now he didn't quite belong anymore. Or, at least not yet. He felt in his heart that he had to see the world through new and clearer eyes, atone for the sins he committed in his defected years. Nothing could really make him feel like he could return completely to his once-home, not until he did some personal reparations. Perhaps Kakashi would let him leave without consequence, that's if he isn't executed.

That thought made his throat tighten and his heart to seize.

He could very well be charged of treason and sentenced to death. He didn't know if Kakashi would be lenient enough to let him off the hook. Sasuke wouldn't doubt that other world leaders would argue for his head, based on the actions he committed against multiple countries. Last he checked, he was still S-Ranked criminal, regardless of his allegiance during the war. They usually didn't get let off the hook so easily.

For him to be pardoned would be a miracle.

"Sasuke-kun..."

Blinking heavily, Sasuke realized he had been staring wearily at his lap. He must have zoned out while she was healing him, and had started to show the signs of despair. But when he locked eyes with Sakura again, he felt himself relax slightly and the anxious niggling in his head calmed down.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," she murmured, reading his thoughts again, as she placed her hand on his knee. He didn't flinch away at the touch, like he normally would for anyone else. Sakura seemed to notice because she smiled and boldly gave him a gentle squeeze. "I'm going to have you stay here for another night or two, just to keep an eye on your vitals. They've been a little wonky since we returned last week-"

"Last week?" Sasuke grimaced. "How long have I been unconscious?"

Sakura frowned and looked away. "About eleven days. After you freed the Tailed Beasts, you collapsed into my arms. I figured it was because of blood loss, so I just popped a replenishing pill in your mouth and waited for you to wake up. Naruto passed out, too, as soon as we set up a small camp for all of the wounded, and he didn't wake up until the night we left. And that was six days ago." She glanced back at him and heaved a sigh. "I was really worried about you, so we hooked you up to a mobile monitor and had you placed in a guarded cart while we trekked back home. Tsunade even took a look at you whenever her chakra was back to normal and even she couldn't figure it out. She just assumed you really needed the rest."

Sasuke shrugged and looked up to his window. Begrudgingly, he asked the question that had been on his mind since he realized he was in Konoha again: "So what happens now?"

Sakura appeared to be ready for that question, because without a beat she replied, "Well, once you get discharged you're to immediately report to the Hokage's Tower, with a guarded escort of course. Kakashi has already taken the mantle unofficially so it'll be him you're dealing with. From there, you are to be debriefed about everything that happened since you defected... It will be then that he decides your fate."

He nodded, humming a curt 'hn' before looking away and to the window. The sky was blue and clear and the tree outside his window swayed in the gentle breeze. It had been so long since he last saw Konoha without rage clouding his eyes. Three years since he was truly home. What had changed in his absence?

How much of his own changes could live with them?

"There is one thing," Sakura began, drawing his attention once more. He turned his eyes back to her and waited as she nervously chewed on her lip and fiddled her hands in her lap. She sighed with resignation and met his eyes. "For the time being, there will be an ANBU guard on you at all times. The council had demanded you wear chakra blocking seals so you won't escape, but as your attending physician I argued against it. Your body is too weak right now to be cut off from your chakra, so the guard was assigned to you. Due to your change of alliances during the war, they are willing to let you have moderate supervision compared to being locked up in a dungeon somewhere."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, feeling his shoulders tense and hand clench around his sheets. "So I'm being babysat like a child because they think I will run away again?"

"It could be worse," she snapped lightly, a tight-lipped frown pulling at her mouth. Sasuke was slightly taken aback by her sudden flare in temper, but he didn't show it. Thankfully she didn't notice, because almost as quickly as she bit out her retort Sakura's face changed back to soft and comforting. She shook her head and put her hand on his knee again, probably to ease him. She must have seen the tension coming off of him in waves. "It's only temporary. At least, until you meet with Kakashi and let your intentions be known. You did vow to destroy the village so they have every right to be wary of you."

"I also almost died for the village," he sniped, resisting the urge to cross his arms like a petulant child. "But they'll only remember things convenient to their arguments."

"Sasuke-kun, no one is going to forget that," Sakura murmured softly. "You helped end the war and save the world. And, though for your own purposes, you helped get rid of some of the highest-ranked criminals in the world. All of that will help you in the end. And it's not like the council will be sitting in on your debriefing. It will just be Kakashi-sensei and some of the shinobi from the interrogation unit. The best thing you can do for yourself is be completely honest with everything."

They stared at each other for a while, not a single word passing between them, before Sasuke felt his exhaustion hit. She gave him a small smile, then checked his vitals a second time and the bandages on his arm before standing up. Her hand lingered on his severed limb and he could have sworn her eyes start to get glassy as she pulled away.

"Get some rest, Sasuke-kun," she said softly, giving him another comforting smile before heading towards the door.

Something in his heart called out to her, wanted to beg her to stay and keep him company for a little longer. But he knew that she was probably busy, or at least couldn't spend all of her day with him. He knew she probably wouldn't decline, not after what she said to him on the battlefield. Besides, he couldn't _beg_ for her to stay; lest his already tarnished reputation be sullied any more. The great Sasuke Uchiha, defected missing-nin and fratricide committer, possessor of the Rinnegan and Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, former member of the Akatsuki, _begging_ his former teammate to keep him company in the hospital like a needy child.

No, his pride didn't allow it.

So he watched her leave his room and close the door quietly behind her. With her departure once again came the sudden sense of despair. Things would certainly be different between them, for sure, and how much would be determined by him. Would he allow himself to get close to her, now that he no longer needed the detachment? How close would he be willing to be to her? She was important to him, there was no doubt about that. And something within him changed since the end of his final battle with Naruto. Almost like something was lifted from his shoulder, making him feel so much lighter. So much freer. It made him realize his connection with her more than he had ever noticed in the past.

It frightened him.

Just as Sasuke began to close his eyes and try to get some more sleep, there was a knock at his door. Before Sasuke could answer, it swung open to reveal the broad grin of Naruto.

"Sasuke! You're awake!"

He growled in his throat and sat up- making sure to use his right arm this time. "Would you have barged in regardless of me being awake or not?"

Naruto bounded over, still grinning ear to ear, and he plopped himself down at the foot of the bed. "Yup! But Sakura-chan told me you woke up so I had to come see you. I figured you hadn't gone to sleep yet."

"Did she also tell you that I was ordered to get more rest?" Sasuke drawled acerbically.

"Yeah, but you can stay up a little longer for me," Naruto snickered. Sasuke arched his eyebrow at him, all while observing the damage done. Other than his right arm bundled in a sling and wrapped in bandages at the end of his own stump, Naruto look unscathed. Though almost two weeks had passed since their battle, he looked like nothing had even happened to him. Sasuke was certain his injuries couldn't have healed that much in that short amount of time, but then he figured Kurama did the rest of the work.

"I'd rather go back to sleep," Sasuke mumbled as he laid against his pillow, closing his eyes and attempting to shut out the jinjuriki at his feet. There was a poke on the arch of his foot, then a hand shook his ankle and calf. But Sasuke kept ignoring him. Sooner or later Naruto would give up and leave him alone.

 _Who am I kidding? Naruto never gives up._

"Saaaaaaa-su-keeeeee," Naruto whined, now shoving Sasuke's hip a little more forcibly than necessary. "Waaaaaake up."

"I wasn't asleep, dobe."

Naruto immediately perked up and bounced a little on the bed. "Okay good. I needed to talk to you about when you get released from this place."

Sasuke opened his left eye and shot him a steely glare. He guessed that the Rinnegan was a little intimidating-regardless of the renewed friendship between them- because Naruto leaned away slightly with widened eyes. But he quickly recovered and scooted closer to the head of the bed.

"Listen, whatever happens while you're with Kakashi-sensei, just remember I'm there for you," Naruto started. "I'll come with you as a character witness and you'll be let off the hook no problem!"

Sasuke's eye closed and he rolled over to bury his face in his pillow. With a muffled and tired voice, he replied, "This is a debriefing, not a trial. I don't need a character witness."

"It wouldn't hurt to help," Naruto pouted. Sasuke dutifully ignored him, trying to press himself into sleep again. But, alas, Naruto wouldn't allow that because as soon as the room was relatively quiet, he spoke up again. "What do you think is going to happen, Sasuke? You think they'll let you be free again?"

Sasuke stilled, then slowly lifted his head to turn and look at his friend. Their eyes met and Sasuke could easy see the unbidden fear within Naruto. They both knew the chance of Sasuke not living to see the end of this week. There was a higher chance of them never seeing each other again, even if he was allowed to live. Sasuke had been thinking of it, too.

"I don't know," he said honestly, feeling the weight of the truth in his words to hit them both. "Only time will tell, Naruto."

* * *

 _tbc._


	2. Chapter One

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters._

 ** _A/N_** _So I've decided that this story isn't going to be THAT long... Maybe 10-12 chapters tops. I don't have a lot of time to write currently, so it will take a while to get this story. I just hope you stick around to read it all!_

 _If you haven't figured it out, the prologue took place before the Blank Period of Chapter 699. From now on, it takes place about two and a half years after that. All events from now on are an alternate timeline. I am not including the events of " **Sakura Hiden** " into this story, because the ending kind of doesn't work with how this goes. Basically I am only taking the manga as canon, no movies and no books._

 _Also, the scene between Sakura and Sasuke has changed around a lot, so if you have read this chapter before I would recommend reading it again just to get the new stuff._

* * *

 **Chapter One**

In Konoha, summer was blistering hot and winter was frigidly cold. The seasons in between were pleasant, but there were always days where the weather was so fickle that one could walk outside in the morning wearing their lightest of clothes, but before sunset they would have to bundle up in their heaviest of sweaters. Oddly enough, big storms didn't come to Konoha often. In fact, when the rain would come it would be slow and light as it fell to the earth, occasionally a downpour or two would show up but it was barely enough to make puddles for children to play in. Though when a big and unforeseen storm was forming, the elders would say that an even more unpredictable event was sure to follow.

No matter much the villagers would disagree, Sakura Haruno believed it. Her superstitions were never prevalent, but she was sure that this one was true.

So when a fierce storm ravaged the village on a late summer night, Sakura made sure to keep up her guard. She could never be too careful or prepared for whatever could happen. It proved to be worth it when there was a heavy and slow knock on her door in the dead of the night, right at the peak of the storm.

Sakura wrapped her thin robe over her shoulders and trotted to the door, a kunai hidden behind her back. That was habit regardless, mainly because a visitor- announced or not- at this time was either there to kill her or request her assistance for an urgent call at the hospital or a mission. Neither happened much but she always had to be ready for anything. That was her life as a kunoichi.

It was too dark to see out the peephole, so she had to rely on sensing the chakra of the strange visitor. Unfortunately for her, the unexpected guest was masking their chakra- probably to not be noticed when they came into the village.

"Who's there?" she shouted through the door, loud enough to be heard over the pounding of the rain and a roar of thunder.

There was silence, but then a groggy reply came that she could barely hear through the wood: "It's me."

Sakura stiffened; her whole body now frozen. She never thought he would be back, not now at least. She waited for him but she was sure it wouldn't be for a while before he returned to her again. There was a coiling in her chest and her stomach flipped. Her heart soared and tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. He was back.

 _Sasuke_.

She dropped her kunai, not hearing it clatter on the ground as she swung open the door, revealing the soaking wet and bedraggled shinobi. His hair, covering his left eye and grown out from years on the road, was plastered to his face and the navy wraps that held it down were sagging downwards. His poncho was sticking to his body in every bulge and crevice. His one visible eye was tired, but was still bright in the darkness of the night.

"You're back," she breathed, at first thinking it was too quiet. But then she remembered that she was speaking to Sasuke- he could hear her even if she had barely even uttered a thing.

His lips pulled up at one corner into a lopsided smile, right as he exhaled a humored snort and replied, "Yeah..."

Before Sakura had time to respond, Sasuke's eye fluttered closed and he collapsed. With a shout of his name, Sakura wrapped her arms around his shoulders and lowered him to the floor. Reminiscent of a time long ago, she cradled him to her chest. It was so surreal having him here. After not seeing him for so long it was almost like a dream. Whatever it was that brought him back to her, she thanked the stars that she was able to hold him again.

There was a flash of lightning and sound of the raging storm outside brought her back to attention. They were partially outside, sitting on the ground as Sasuke laid unconscious in her arms. With a sigh and a wry grin, Sakura adjusted him in her arms before scooting him into the house and shutting the front door with a kick of her foot.

The steady rhythm of the rain was in time with Sasuke's deep breaths and Sakura immediately conferred that he was bone tired, exhausted beyond belief by his travels. It wasn't surprising in the least, but what had been a shock was that he was here in her home. He had been gone for two and a half years with no word of when he would return. But lo and behold, here he was in Konoha in the middle of the night without any warning.

Here with her.

She smiled softly as she slowly hefted him up and towards her bedroom, where he could properly rest. Kami knows how long he's gone since he slept in a comfortable bed or had a good meal. She was thankful in the back of her mind for her strength , and suppressed a giggle at the thought of how they looked at that moment: her carrying him bridal style through the halls of her home.

An ironic role-reversal, if she could say so herself.

Sakura would have daydreamed so much more about her holding Sasuke like this, how it felt so right that he was in her arms now, but as soon as she passed the threshold of her bedroom the sound of dripping water hit her ears and she was suddenly reminded that he was still soaking wet.

 _Stupid._

She grunted as she lowered to the floor, took his sword out of his belt and set it aside. She then began peeling the wraps off of his forehead and as soon they were in a sopping pile behind her, she pulled his pack over his head and discarded it to the side. Meticulously, she went to his right forearm and starting unwrapping those as well. He stirred as soon as the wraps were removed, and his eyes opened slightly, revealing one black and one entirely purple with black rings radiating outward. For some reason, it still unnerved her looking into that Rinnegan.

"Sakura..."

She smiled at him again, then pushed his wet hair out of his face. "Hi, Sasuke-kun."

He gave her a tired and crooked grin at the old honorific, then closed his eyes again as he took a deep breath, saying in a weary voice, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was coming sooner. I didn't plan to come but I needed to get here as soon as possible..."

Sakura hushed him and began untying the wraps on his shins with one hand- for the other still had him cradled against her- then pulling off his sandals. With a snide grin, she muttered, "A letter or a hawk with a heads up would have been nice."

At her remark, Sasuke chuckled and began to sit up, but hissed in and clutched his left side with his hand. Sakura quickly helped him sit up completely, worry etching her features as she watched him suffer by an unknown cause.

"Sasuke-kun, what happened?"

He gritted his teeth and shook his head, eyes clamped shut as he struggled to overcome whatever had just caused him pain. A flash memory came to the front of her mind, and she had to push down the aching in her chest as she vividly remembered Sasuke's screams and the black marks covering his body. She shuddered, but pushed those traumatizing memories away and thankfully managed to hide it from the ever-perceptive shinobi in front of her.

As he calmed his breathing and removed his hand from his side, he slowly opened his eyes and looked at her apologetically. "I had to come to you first..."

"Sasuke-kun..."

With a bracing sigh, Sasuke pulled his poncho and shirt over his head- which made Sakura's heart flip in her chest and her skin to flush at the sight of his naked torso- and turned around. When she saw his bare back, she couldn't stop herself from gasping out loud in horror, covering her mouth in shock. Mottled on the pale skin was a dozen large bruises, all blossoming like they were fresh and deep. There was a long and narrow gash near the back of his left hip and speckling of small punctures all over mixed with some more, larger stab wounds near his right shoulder. He had been attacked, and they had festered long enough for the reddening and swelling of infection to begin to grow.

Quickly, Sakura put her hand on his hip, immediately channeling her chakra to the wound. Sasuke hissed, but quickly relaxed to her touch as she worked on fixing him.

"What happened?" she whispered, peering over his shoulder.

He turned his head and glanced back at her, eye peaking out from under his damp hair. "It's why I need to go see Kakashi. I was ambushed in the Land of Lightning."

"Do you know who it was?"

He shook his head, his shoulders tensing and his core muscles flexing under her chakra-infused touch. "They wore hitai-ate, but there were no markings signifying what village they came from. They were all blank."

Sakura narrowed her eyes and moved her hands to the tiny little punctures in his skin. "How many?"

She could imagine Sasuke smirking as he replied haughtily, "Twenty."

"What happened to them?"

He went to reply, but suddenly winced and hissed when she ran her fingers over his left side. She frowned when she felt there was a broken rib that was barely grazing his lung. It was a miracle it hadn't been punctured yet. More so than the fact that Sasuke hadn't shown any signs of having a broken bone in the first place- or at least was very good at hiding it. That came to no surprise to her.

"Is this why you came to me?" she whispered, working the rib back into place.

Sasuke turned under her hand to look her in the eyes, nodding again before he replied, "I had planned on going straight to Kakashi, but they were starting to hinder me... I just didn't want-"

"To admit you were hurt and needed my help?" she suggested, ignoring her irritation at his obvious macho problems. He glared at her over his shoulder again as she finished up his final wound. "Idiot."

Sasuke turned around- now facing her fully- and stared down at her with poorly veiled gratitude on his face. She just glared up at him with disappointment. "You should have gone to a doctor as soon as you got away from those rogues. That infection could have gotten bad if I hadn't taken care of it."

At this, his cheeks turned a little pink and he looked up and away from her so quickly she almost didn't see it. "Well... I don't like other people working on me... So... I thought I could get to you fast enough and get it taken care of."

Her eyes softened at his reluctance to admit such a fact, and she didn't bother to hide her pride. "Well, I'm glad that it was only that. Any longer and you could have gotten sick, and then you wouldn't have been able to get to Kakashi at all."

The corner of Sasuke's lip pulled up and he drawled, "You must not have faith in my speed."

"Oh, I know you're fast," Sakura countered, then tapped the side of Sasuke's head with a closed fist. "I just doubt your common sense."

His gaze snapped to her and a angry pout formed on his lips, but before he could reply, Sakura smiled and quickly offered, "Would you like to shower?"

Sasuke seemed a little stunned by her change of conversation, but relief quickly washed over his face and he smiled stupidly as he nodded. "A shower sounds wonderful."

"Down the hall, to your left," she said as she regretfully stood up. Being so close to him for the first time was admittedly amazing and made her heart race. She was almost afraid that if she turned around or left his side, he would disappear again. "I'll make some tea."

His smile was enough to make her heart soar out of her chest and into the heavens, but she swallowed it down and nodded at him before she left the room. Though, the urge to tease him overtook any manners she had and she called over her shoulder, "I know you desperately need a shower, but don't go running up my water bill, okay, Stinky?"

The sound that came out of him was a mixture of an insulted snort and a laugh, and Sakura turned around just in time to see him scurry- well, more like hobble- out of her room and down the hall, and Sakura could have sworn she saw a tiny bit of an angry blush dusting his paler-than-normal cheeks. Why, she didn't know. The sound of the bathroom door closing and the shower starting to run hit her ears and Sakura had to force her feet to move towards the kitchen.

The teapot clattered as she set it down on the stove, full of water and ready to be boiled. All she needed to get out was the tea leaves and cups. She had one that she drank out of exclusively, so there weren't many cups in the cupboard for guests. There were two other than her own, because she never entertained more people than that, and she was sure one had a crack in the side and would surely break if used.

It saddened her a little to think of how infrequent her home had visitors. She was always so busy working that she never gets the chance to invite people over. More often than not, she going over to other people's houses anyway. Her apartment was nothing more than a place to for her to sleep, because it was too empty for her to really call it a home.

The water shut off and Sakura could hear Sasuke step out of the shower. There was a loud thump, and the sound of a shocked grunt.

"You okay in there?" she shouted across the house.

"Yeah," he hollered back through the door. "The towels just fell on me."

Sakura giggled to herself and went back to tending to the tea. The leaves had steeped and now the kocha was ready for consumption. And just as she turned around, a steaming mug in each hand, Sasuke exited the bathroom wearing nothing but a pair of loose black pants hanging low on his lean hips. He was drying his hair with a towel, not noticing her oogle him from afar.

Since their last meeting, Sasuke's body had really developed into one of a man. His chest was broad, his shoulders wide, and his abdomen tight and toned from years of discipline and training. There were dustings of hair in the center of his pecs and below his belly button, and Sakura couldn't help but follow the trail down to the waistband of his pants. He was now 19, completely a man, and Sakura could see it plain as day.

It made her nervous in more ways than she could explain.

He looked up at her, watching as she stared, and stepped forward to take one of the mugs of tea from her. She quickly had to shake herself out of her daze before he noticed, and hurriedly handed him the one in her left hand. He took it gratefully and took a long swig before sighing happily.

"You made my favorite," he finally said.

Sakura blinked a few times before looking down at her own mug. Of course she had forgotten that Sasuke had favored kocha especially, preferring it a little stronger and more bitter than her. She hadn't even thought of adding sugar to hers until her mind registered that she had absently decided to make this particular brew.

She nodded once and turned on her heel to go back to the kitchen and fetch some sugar. Over her shoulder, she said flatly, "So when do you plan on leaving again to see Kakashi? I don't think you're in any shape to travel tonight."

Sasuke snorted and Sakura was pretty surprised to find that he was standing right behind her. He set his mug down on the counter and frowned down his nose at her, not hiding his disdain for her worrying. "It's of the utmost importance that I see the Hokage as soon as possible."

Sakura turned around fully and crossed her arms, completely prepared to poke him in the chest as a warning. "That's not an answer, Sasuke. You passed out on my porch, end of story. So I'm putting my foot down. You're staying here for the rest of the night and you can go see Kakashi in the morning. Whatever it is, it can wait until you're at your best."

His face furrowed in annoyance and he turned around to walk to her room. She followed right after him, ready to reprimand him for pushing himself too far, but as soon as she passed through the door she stopped. Sasuke was sitting on the edge of her bed, wrapping his amputated arm with clean bandages. His bag was now at his feet, open to reveal his limited supplies and single change of clothes. He glanced up at her as she entered, but otherwise remained quiet. As soon as he was finished with wrapping his arm, he snagged a shirt out of his pack and pulled it on over his head- with just a bit of difficulty that made Sakura smile to herself. Even after two years, he couldn't put on a shirt right with one arm.

"If you insist, I won't leave tonight," he said as soon as his head popped through the high collar. He stared at her before he bent over and closed his pack and carried it to the wall. "I'll leave in the morning after I get some rest."

Sakura crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. "Will you at least stay for breakfast?"

Sasuke shook his head and sighed softly, "I have to see Kakashi as soon as possible, Sakura. This is important."

Without stopping herself, Sakura snickered and shook her head. "He probably won't even be in his office until mid-morning. You'll have to wait around anyway."

He glared at her, but quickly closed his eyes. Thunder rumbled overhead and she could feel him reading the chakra signatures in the area. Knowing his strength he could probably see all the way to the Hokage's tower from her little apartment without even breaking a sweat. When he grinned, she instantly knew she had been proven wrong. Instead of gloating, Sasuke just opened his eyes and shrugged.

Quietly, she padded over to her bed and sat down. He watched her the entire time, still standing by his pack, with something unreadable in his one visible eye. She watched him in return, not wanting to break the amicable air between them. He stilled when their eyes locked, but he quickly masked any discomfort by looking down to his pack and bending over to pull something out.

"You're different."

She saw him look up for a fraction of a second- obviously unprepared to hear that- but quickly covered it up by averting his gaze back to his bag. "I'd say the same for you. Time changes everyone."

Sakura hummed with agreement. Not that she could disagree, because the years had been kind to her. He must have noticed, as she did for him. When Sasuke was done rummaging through his bag, he sighed heavily and leaned back on his haunches. Out of the corner of his eye, he stared at her and gave an exhausted grunt.

"What?"

"I don't have any extra clothes. I usually only have these two outfits and wear them for a while before cleaning them."

Sakura stood without saying a word and went over to the pile of wet clothes, picking them up and tossing them in her laundry basket before picking that up as well and tucking it under one arm and against her hip. She smiled down at him when he looked at her oddly, then stated, "I'll go do some laundry. You go lay down and get some rest."

"But it's late and-"

She held up her free hand and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure those clothes could have used a wash anyway. Just so happens I have some stuff to clean, too. Now, go. Before I force you."

Sasuke gave her an exasperated glare before he stood up- wobbling slightly again- and headed out of the room.

"Wait- where are you going?"

Once again, he gave her a strange look. "Uhh... The living room to sleep on the couch?"

Sakura went over to him, grabbing his bicep and pulling him back into her room, shoving him towards her bed with a light chuckle. "Go sleep on my bed, Sasuke-kun. You need it more than I do. Besides, I'll be coming in and out of the living room so you won't be getting much sleep in there."

Sasuke looked like he was warring within himself- between propriety of sleeping in someone else's bed, more importantly a woman's, and his exhaustion. The more tired part of his mind must have won, because his shoulders slumped and he shuffled his feet towards the bed. He practically plopped himself down- face in the pillow- and he gave her a muffled thanks before pulling her blankets up and over his body. Just as Sakura turned off the light, she began to hear the soft sound of his snores.

* * *

When Sasuke came out of Sakura's room right before dawn, she was dozing lightly at her kitchen table. A lukewarm cup of coffee was sitting in front of her, leaving a ring of water on the table. As soon as his foot fell onto the hardwood floor of the hallway, she jerked up- not noticing the string of spit that dangled from her lips.

"You slept out here?"

Sakura blinked a few times, clearing the sleep from her eyes, and nodded before looking towards the couch, where the pile of laundry she cleaned was folded neatly. Sasuke's lone pile sat on the arm of the chair while her clothes took up all of the cushions. Thinking back, she could have easily folded them and put them on the coffee table or even the floor so she'd have somewhere more comfortable to sleep. But hindsight was always 20/20.

Sasuke was already walking over to his pile and started wrapping up his forearm with the clean bandages that had been pilled neatly on top. It was a little entertaining to watch- seeing that he only had one hand to work with, and it so happened to be on the arm he had to wrap- because he had the end of the wraps in between his teeth as he wound his arm in small circles to get the wraps in the right spot. Sakura almost stood to go help him, but he finished wrapping it pretty efficiently in such a small time. She was impressed.

He turned to her then, just as he tied off the end with his teeth, and gave her an apologetic shrug. "I need to go."

She nodded tiredly and stood, pulling her loose robe tighter around her body as she hugged her arms closer to her stomach. "I know. Will I see you again or will you just disappear like last time?"

Sasuke huffed and shot her cross frown. "Look, as much as I would love to stay and relax, I need to tell Kakashi about what happened and get it taken care of. I wasted enough time here and I can't waste any more. Right now, I have my duty to think about."

The sound of distant thunder shook between them and Sakura fought every urge to beg him to wait out the storm even more. Rain hit the roof- a sound she grew used to- and it grew heavier as they stood and stared at each other. The tension was palpable, enough so it almost made her squirm where she stood so she could be out of Sasuke's burning gaze.

He sighed, shaking his head and breaking his stare, and said softly, "I'm sorry."

Sakura just watched as he went back to her room to grab his pack and sword, then as he returned and rewrapped his head and slipped on his sandals. His pack was slung over his head and his poncho right over it. Giving her one more apologetic look, Sasuke approached her. Without another word, he poked her on her forehead- like he had during his last departure- and smiled sadly.

She felt her cheeks burn and her heart race. Unfortunately, she couldn't form any words to say so he just nodded once and turned on his heels towards the front door. As soon as it opened, he vanished into the dim light of dawn.

Sakura wondered vaguely if that would be the last time she would ever see him.

* * *

 _tbc._


	3. Chapter Two

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto._

 ** _A/N This story was revised on August 20-22, 2015. Please reread all chapters if you have not already done so._** _  
_

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

"So... if what you're telling me is true, then we should be anticipating an eminent attack on the village in the near future?"

Sasuke watched the back of the Hokage's head as he stared out his window, observing the village in the quiet hours of the morning. The sky was still dark, letting loose a steady downpour of rain, but the faint light behind them told Sasuke it was already past the earlier parts of the morning. It was strange weather for Konoha, especially this time of year, but Sasuke was not one to care for such matters. Rain was rain, and even though Konoha was starting to look like Amegakure it was nothing to fret over.

"Yes," he replied steadily. "At least, that is what I gathered."

"Is that why you returned, Sasuke?"

He nodded once as Kakashi turned around, staring him down with hard eyes. The news he brought had concerned the Hokage, enough to the point that pleasantries between the former student and teacher were ignored for the urgency of the situation. "It was most concerning that I brought it to your attention. The mystery of their allegiance as well as their numbers could be a concern if not dealt with swiftly. The man I interrogated could not have lied to me, so I am confident in the reliability of this information."

Kakashi hummed in agreement while moving to sit down. His hands folded in front of his masked mouth and his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. "I cannot send out as many people as you recommend, Sasuke. Our forces here are spread thin enough as it is, and if what you're saying is true then we will need as many shinobi as we can spare to remain in the village to protect the people."

"How many can you manage to deploy?"

Frowning even deeper, enough to pull his mask and make his eyes almost droop, Kakashi sighed heavily and began rubbing his temples in an attempt to ward off a headache. "Maybe one squad of four. If you accompany them, that will be five-"

"And I will. No matter who you send."

Kakashi looked up to Sasuke and there was a minuscule crinkling by his eyes before he nodded. "Very well. I will choose who will be going to investigate, right after-"

There was a loud banging on the door to the Hokage office and before Kakashi could even answer, it swung open and Sasuke was immediately squeezed from behind by two incredibly strong arms.

 _It was only a matter of time before-_

"You son of a bitch! Why didn't you tell me you were back?!"

"Naruto-"

"Shut it, Kakashi! He's got some explaining to do!"

Kakashi didn't even seem phased by Naruto's blatant disrespect towards him. Though Sasuke was slightly affronted. Not many could speak to any Kage in that manner without being decapitated. But then again, not many people were like Naruto.

Frankly, Sasuke wasn't even surprised that there was no anger in Naruto's voice, only what he could describe as overly-excited annoyance. So with an irritated sigh, Sasuke pushed Naruto off and turned around to glare at him. He hadn't changed much in the past few years, just a few inches taller and his hair a few inches shorter. Vaguely, Sasuke felt a little annoyed that Naruto was just a smidgen taller than him.

 _When did that happen?_

"I just got in."

Naruto gave him a dramatic pout and his shoulders dropped. "And you didn't come to see me first?! What kind of friend are you?"

Without replying, Sasuke rolled his eyes and gave Naruto one pat on the shoulder before turning back to Kakashi. "Are we finished?"

Kakashi nodded at him, and then looked over his shoulder to speak with their uninvited guest. "Naruto, I'll summon you back in a few hours. We can talk then."

"Alright!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping in the air before grabbing Sasuke's lone wrist and tugging him out of the Hokage's office. As Naruto pulled him out of the building and into the rain, he wouldn't stop blabbering. "Oh man! We have to go see Sakura-chan! She's going to be so excited that you're back!"

Sasuke grumbled under his breath, but went along with Naruto. There wasn't much more he could do since the information he needed to give Kakashi was passed along. Now all he had to do was wait for the team to be assembled and he would be leaving again. And there was no point in rushing his former sensei to pick his new team members. He wondered in the back of his mind if either Naruto or Sakura would be chosen to come along, but he highly doubted it. Kakashi would need his strongest shinobi to protect the village. And Naruto and Sakura were just that. Some ANBU Black Ops would most likely be deployed with him, if Kakashi deemed them necessary.

But, knowing his luck, he'd be paired with someone he didn't even know or someone he hated. Kakashi may have pardoned him, but he was probably still a _little_ mad and would likely issue his payback with subtlety. Probably with a cheeky smile on his face.

"...have you been this whole time? Are you going to be staying for a while? You can live with me until you find your own place!"

Sasuke blinked a few times when he realized Naruto had been talking to him. He'd at least slowed down to a walk and let go of Sasuke, which was a relief. Awkwardly- as if to hide the fact he hadn't paid attention- Sasuke cleared his throat and replied, "I'm not staying long, dobe. I had some information I needed to relay to Kakashi. He's assigned me to a team to deal with the issue and we're leaving as soon as he briefs them."

Naruto groaned exasperatedly and spun on his heel to look Sasuke in the eyes. "But you just got here! Are you even going to go see Sakura-chan or are you going to vanish before she gets the chance to say 'hello?'"

Sasuke just rolled his eyes without answering, instead following his friend to the apartment where he had already spent the night.

* * *

Sakura woke to a loud banging, at first thinking it was her own head thudding with lack of sleep. But when her dazed mind began to register Naruto's ecstatic shouts through the wood she managed to pull herself out of bed, wrap her robe over her thin shirt and shorts, and pad over to her door.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan! Wake up! You'll never believe what happened!"

Yawning, she turned the handle and pulled open her door to reveal Naruto and- not surprisingly- Sasuke. She stared at Naruto with minor annoyance for a minute, blinking slowly, before turning to Sasuke and giving him a warm smile. "Do you want some breakfast?"

Sasuke nodded and pushed past their shocked friend, pulling off his poncho and bag, and setting them on the floor next to his sandals. Instead of letting Naruto stand outside in the rain, Sakura grabbed his sleeve and pulled him inside. When she closed the door behind them, Naruto spun on his heel with his finger pointed at her and his mouth open like he was about to shout.

"He already saw me, Naruto," Sakura answered his silent question calmly, a small and reassured smile on her lips.

It was plainly obvious that the fact that Sasuke had already come to Sakura _before_ going to Kakashi was starting to register in Naruto's head, because his face changed from shocked and appalled to confused, then finally dawning realization as he turned on his heels again to face Sasuke, smirk arrogant and tone teasing, "Oh, did you now? I bet if was a _wonderful_ and _exciting_ visit. No wonder you didn't come see me first."

Together, Sasuke and Sakura groaned, "Shut up, Naruto."

Naruto snickered and wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulder. "If you want, I could leave you two alone for a while before you leave again."

Ignoring what Naruto was implying, Sakura turned her eyes to Sasuke and her shoulders sagged slightly. "You're leaving again?"

Sasuke nodded and rubbed his temple with the heel of his hand. "Kakashi has tasked me to assist the team he's sending out to take care of the group of rogues of north."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sakura saw Naruto straighten up to probably ask Sasuke what he meant but she quickly took a step forward and hugged her arms tighter against her stomach. "When do you leave?"

"After he's assembled a team and briefed them," Sasuke replied, sitting down at the table as he did. "So a couple of hours, tops."

She sighed and silently went to the kitchen, ignoring Sasuke's sad and apologetic stare as she passed. Instead, she began pulling out all of the ingredients she needed to make a simple ozoni and rice. Behind her, Naruto sat next to Sasuke and began talking about what him had been doing since he left. She barely heard Sasuke say something about getting stuck in a village up in the Land of Snow because of a week long blizzard and how he had to somehow assist with chopping wood with only one arm.

Naruto laughed heartily and kept pestering him with questions, continously steering towards when he would be back for good, if he wanted to officially be a Leaf shinobi again. Sasuke's answer was drowned out by the sound of a distant rumble of thunder and the running sink. When they got to the subject of her, Sakura did her best to ignore their hushed tones and remain ignorant of the discussion. But alas, Naruto was never one to be quiet when he needed to be.

"So... you came straight here?"

"Yes, dobe. Why do you care?"

"I was just wondering if you were actually going to man up and do something about how much you care about her."

Sakura almost giggled at the strangled sound that came from Sasuke, but stifled the sound in fear of them discovering her eavesdropping. Though, as soon as she calmed her desire to laugh, a forlorn pit grew in her stomach. Despite what she wished, she doubted Sasuke would ever come back permanently. At least, not for her. He was like wind, never remaining still and never returning to the same place. It was his nature.

"Naruto-"

"Even if you decide to stay after your mission, you need to stay for the right reasons. And if you finally get your head out of your ass and tell her how you feel, then you need to try your best to make her happy. She's spent too much time being sad because of you and I will beat you again if you're the reason she becomes sad."

"I think you're getting ahead of yourself," Sasuke replied evenly, if just a little morosely. "There's things I need to take care of before I come back for good... And that's if I even decide to stay."

"Oh, well," Naruto bemoaned. "Sooner or later, she's going to find someone that makes her happy. And that someone won't be you, because you would have been too late."

Whatever else they said was drowned out by a gust of wind hitting the side of the house and the picking up of the steady flow of rain against her roof. She frowned while she stirred the food and reached for the pot for tea. Did Naruto forget what she had said to him before? A girl's feelings don't change easily. She loved Sasuke... and she would be willing to wait for him if she had to. The question was, did Sasuke want her to wait for him?

"Sakura-chan! When's the food going to be ready?"

When she bent backwards to look towards the table, she saw Naruto looking at her expectantly while Sasuke avoided her gaze. She frowned and almost shook her head in disappointment. Naruto probably knew that she could hear them, meaning he was saying those things on purpose for her specifically. Sasuke would have known, too, then. Surely that's why he wouldn't look her in the eye.

With a sigh, Sakura replied, "Just give it a couple of minutes. I'm making tea."

"Are you making anything good? It smells delicious!"

She smiled at him. "Just soup and rice. Plus tea and any fruit you want."

She noticed Sasuke's eyes flickered to her momentarily, watching her as she spoke with Naruto, and then glance away once she turned her attention to him again. Sakura almost scoffed. Wasn't he being- in his own way- affectionate this morning? Or maybe she was reading into his abnormal gestures the wrong way. Regardless, his apathy was pretty irksome.

"No ramen?" Naruto whined, sinking in his chair and dangling his arms over the back. "C'mon, Sakura, you know I don't really like your cooking."

"You don't like anything that isn't ramen, idiot," Sasuke sneered, earning a giggle from Sakura. He glanced at her again, now holding her gaze boldly. For a moment, they just kept their eyes on each other while Naruto kept complaining about how ramen wasn't all bad and some other nonsense. Sakura wasn't really paying attention anymore. Sasuke's stare was much more interesting than Naruto's eating habits.

For the first time in so long, Sasuke's eyes were warm when they looked at her; piercing and knowing and open to the point where she felt he could read her every thought and desire. Her body felt warm under his gaze, and it seemed as if her heart beat faster and slower at the same time. It wasn't like before when her nerves would get the best of her in his presence. Now she was content, more at ease than she had been in forever.

Sakura was still so very much in love with him. And now it didn't seem like such a bad thing.

The whistling of her tea pot broke the trance and Sakura practically jumped in the air before twirling around to attend to the food. Luckily the rice was just about finished and the soup had already simmered to perfection. With clumsy hands, Sakura began prepping the tea leaves and pouring the water. Unfortunately, her little moment lost in Sasuke's eyes made her jittery and the water kept spilling over the sides of the cups and onto the counter.

A hand came from behind her and steadied hers, and when she looked over her shoulder she saw it had been- no surprise- Sasuke. He gave her a quirk of his lips, then gently took the pot out of her hands and setting it on the counter.

"Finish the food," he ordered softly, his eyes crinkling lightly in the corners. "I'll take care of this."

Sakura's eyebrow arched bemusedly. "With one arm?"

Sasuke shrugged and stepped around her so he could finish pouring the water for her. His hand was much more steady than hers, surely, and he was pretty good at getting the pot tipped over with just one arm. She never could do that without both hands to steady it. But then again, Sasuke had become accustomed to having just one arm to use. This was probably a walk in the park for him.

Soon the food was all put into serving bowls and Sasuske and Sakura carried them along with the cups of tea to the table where Naruto was still sitting. He was eyeing them conspiratorially, his eyebrow waggling whenever his and Sasuke's eyes met. Sakura knew she wasn't meant to see it, but she did and managed to hold back her laughter at Sasuke's eye roll and scoff. And she tried to ignore the excited feeling in her chest when his cheeks pinked slightly.

Together, the three shinobi ate their breakfast in comfortable silence. Naruto would speak occasionally, his words muffled with his partially chewed food. Small talk was all they exchanged and Sakura tried her best to ignore the happy feeling that was warming her chest. Here she was, on a Tuesday morning at the end of summer, eating breakfast with her boys.

Suddenly, Naruto gasped and swallowed his food thickly before slamming his hands on the table and staring down Sasuke with wide eyes. "Sasuke! We missed your birthday!"

Without missing a beat, Sasuke took another polite bite of his rice and replied, "I did that on purpose, dobe."

"But it was your nineteenth! We needed to really celebrate!"

Sakura took a sip of her tea and narrowed her eyes. "Naruto, your birthday is closer than Sasuke's now. We can just celebrate then."

Her eyes darted over to Sasuke and her heart was reaching out to him. _Please be here for that. We need you here with us._

Before Sasuke or Naruto could reply, there was a heavy knocking on her door. Sakura sighed and pushed herself away from the table. Her robe flapped open and she quickly wrapped it back up for propriety's sake. She didn't miss how Sasuke's eyes followed her all the way to the door, something unreadable in them as he watched her. But she chose to ignore how it made that warm feeling spread in her chest again.

It was best not to read too much into it.

Once she reached the door and swung it open, she was wholly surprised to see one of the chuunins that worked in the Hokage's building was standing in front of her. As soon as she acknowledged him, he silently handed her a scroll and bowed at the waist. "Lord Rokudaime has summoned you. Please arrive in one hour."

"Alright," she replied, tucking the scroll into her pocket and nodding. "Thank you."

With a few hand signs, the chuunin disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She quickly closed her door and took out the scroll. She unrolled it, read its contents and frowned at first, then smiled with mirth once she reached the end. Sasuke and Naruto both stared at her expectantly and she flashed them a brilliant smile.

"Kakashi wants all of us to be in his office in one hour," she said as she set the scroll down on the table for her boys to read. "I guess he knew that you two would come straight here so he's given me the job to make sure you both show up. I'm going to get cleaned up and we can go. Clean up this mess while I'm in the shower."

As soon as she ordered them to clean, Naruto groaned and Sasuke grumbled under his breath. But they both stood and began collecting the dishes and carrying them to the kitchen. Sasuke's eyes met hers one last time and she offered him another smile before she went around the corner. If she thought right, Kakashi was summoning Team 7 once more for a mission.

And that meant she wouldn't have to part with Sasuke as soon as she thought.

* * *

 _tbc._


	4. Chapter Three

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters._

 ** _A/N_** _Updated on 9/5/15_

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

Nothing made Sasuke realize how much things had changed in Konoha than seeing his friends prepare for a mission. After Sakura ordered him and Naruto to clean up the mess she created while making breakfast, Sasuke grumbled under his breath and begrudgingly began working with Naruto. They worked together pretty efficiently- something that hadn't changed in all of his time away- and soon the kitchen was spotless before Sakura even shut off the water.

She came out of her room a few minutes later, dressed in a red sleeveless tunic and tight black leggings tucked into her knee-high boots, fingerless gloves reaching her upper arms being pulled on as she approached them. Her weapons pouch was secured on her hip and her medic bag was strapped right next to it. Her kunai holster was attached to her leg and as soon as she tied her forehead protector in her hair, she was ready to go.

Quickly they all jumped from building to building through the rain, heading straight to Naruto's apartment a few blocks away. He jumped through one of his windows to get his things, leaving Sasuke alone with Sakura outside under an overhanging tree. Silence between them had always been comfortable, for which Sasuke was thankful. Needless conversation and small talk were never his strong suit, and Sakura seemed to favor it in the past. But now she seemed to know better than to coax pointless chatter out of him. Being in his presence seemed to be enough for her now, and it was just the same for him.

"I like your hair."

Sasuke blinked a few times and felt his cheeks heat slightly. Unwanted attention, he was used to. Even when strangers would come up to him with hearts in their eyes and giddy little smiles, he could bear it. But when Sakura could compliment him, he didn't really know what to do. It was strange, not because he wasn't used to it, but because she had done it all the time when they were kids and he would brush it off. Now, when those green eyes of hers looked up at him with clarity rivaling that of the emeralds found in the caves of Earth Country, it unnerved him more than he would care to admit.

He was also a little flabbergasted at why she would even compliment his hair at all. It would stick up in odd directions and was a pain to manage, despite its smooth texture. Now it was grown out to his shoulders now and a forelock that he used to push to the side was currently hiding his left eye from view. Usually in his travels he wrapped a thick scarf around his head to act as a hat, and on the days he didn't a long navy wrap was tied around right on his forehead.

He felt that he sort of looked like a vagabond with how ratty it made him look. Unlike her, whose pink hair was smoothed into a clean cut right at her shoulders, parted at the side but not deep enough so her Yin Seal was still shown proudly. It suited her.

Quickly, Sasuke covered up his slight shock and wayward thoughts by clearing his throat and giving her a gracious- albeit stiff- nod, all with a polite smile. He really had to remind himself how to act in situations like this. "Thanks. I like what you've done with yours, too."

And he meant it.

Sakura wasn't as skilled at covering up how flustered he made her, because her cheeks flared a bright red and the corners of her lips pulled into an adorable and bashful smile. She looked away tentatively and began fiddling with the soft tresses he had complimented. "You really think so?"

He nodded again and his lips pulled up at the corner. "Yeah. It makes you look more mature."

Her smile grew, showing off her teeth, and she nudged him with her shoulder. "Thanks, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke nodded and looked away. He tried to hide his satisfaction with making her smile so brightly. Maybe it was a consolation in his mind after making her frown and cry so often when they were younger. It had been five years since he left her on that fateful night and he can still remember vividly how her tears fell down her face when she begged him to stay. Now seeing her smile because of him once again caused that tight feeling that always persisted in his chest to loosen just a bit.

Making her happy made him a little happier, too.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He turned his head minutely in her direction, acknowledging her by looking her in the eye out of the corner of his own.

She visibly swallowed and rubbed her elbow with her other hand. "Do you think Kakashi is going to be send us with you on this mission?"

Sasuke sighed, knowing very well what the answer would be. Based on the missive Kakashi had sent Sakura- knowing Naruto and Sasuke would both be with her- and knowing the severity and importance of this mission, he'd say that the Hokage was indeed assembling Team Seven once more. He regretted knowing the answer, because as much as he would prefer having them with him, he knew that they would be needed in the village to ward off any attack that could befall it. But then again, having them with him to wipe out the problem before it could fester could be the best choice. Sending the best ninja to prevent an attack is pretty smart.

"Based on the timing of his summoning, I'd assume so."

The smile Sakura gave him wasn't missed, and Sasuke almost had the urge to smile right back.

"Team Seven," she mused, almost just to herself, as she looked away with that same grin on her face, "back together again... I wonder if he'll send Sai or Yamato with us."

"Kakashi said that he would be sending a team a four, along with me," Sasuke replied, leaning back against the wall, "so it would be safe to assume at least one of them would probably assist us."

Sakura didn't say anything at first, and Sasuke assumed she was still smiling as she thought about her boys being together with her again. She was always oddly sentimental like that. But when she broke the silence with his name in a tone so far from nostalgic, Sasuke had to blink to realize he wasn't imagining the sadness in her voice.

"Why are you always so formal when you talk to me? I thought we were past that."

Sasuke stared at her for moment, the way her small face was pulled down in an almost disappointed frown and how her shoulders seemed to shrink in to make her look even smaller, and he forced himself to come up with some type of answer. He really couldn't explain why he was speaking to her in such an uptight manner. In the past, it was her that he could speak to with ease and a more relaxed tone. It was her that he could always speak his mind, especially before he left the second time. Now, he had to remind himself that this was Sakura, not some stranger he was assisting in his travels. She knew him. He knew her. There was no reason to be unfamiliar with her.

Just as he opened his mouth to give a small apology, Naruto burst through the door- dressed in a pair of baggy black pants tucked into his sandals and an orange and black thermal jacket zipped up over a mesh shirt. His pack was slung over his shoulder- as if he knew exactly what Kakashi would be requesting of him- and a huge grin was plastered on his face.

"Alright! Let's roll!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and Sakura groaned, probably lamenting the lost moment she had with him. Instead of commenting, Sasuke pushed off the tree trunk and headed in the direction of the Hokage's tower. Sakura was close behind and Naruto was just itching to get to the Hokage's office, so he was right on Sasuke's heels until he was leading them out into the rain.

As soon as they were on the move, Sasuke didn't miss Sakura's resigned sigh behind him. Nor did he miss the way his heart tugged at the thought of not being able to tell her what she wanted to know.

* * *

"Naruto, Sakura. I have an S-ranked mission for you-"

"YEAH!" Naruto jumped in the air and thrust his fist up in a rejoiced punch. "I knew it! So where are we all going, Kakashi-sensei? Is this the mission that Sasuke is going on, too? Back together again! Oh yeah!"

Kakashi sighed and shook his head, obviously tired of Naruto already, and Sakura couldn't help but laugh at how he looked like an exasperated father with a toddler. Next to her, Sasuke was rubbing his eyes with his finger and thumb, taking a deep breath to stop himself from beating Naruto silent. Her smile faded though whenever he sensed her eyes on him and looked up to meet her gaze.

They hadn't finished their conversation earlier and as much Sakura hated to admit, she knew she wouldn't be getting anywhere with Sasuke anytime soon. She was pressing him, sure, but not to the point where he would snap and close himself off entirely. He had opened up slightly to her before he left the village a second time, and so she thought that maybe in time he would return and expose himself to her fully, bare his heart to her like she wished for so wholeheartedly. But knowing Sasuke Uchiha meant knowing that it wouldn't come so easily.

"Naruto," Kakashi replied in a curt tone, but still with a hint of tiredness, "if you'd let me finish, you would have learned that already."

Naruto stopped his excited prancing around the room and muttered a quick apology before leaping back to Sakura's side. As soon as he was silent, Kakashi stood, rounded the desk, and handed Sakura a scroll.

"You two are to accompany Sasuke north to Lightning country," he started as he sat on the edge of the desk and crossed his arms over his chest. "There you will be doing reconnaissance on an unnamed rogue group forming in the area. According to the information Sasuke gathered, they are planning an attack on Konoha, and possibly the other villages. We have no information about their size or abilities, but Sasuke learned that their numbers are quite possibly over one hundred. When deemed necessary, you will take out the group with as little attention as possible. This threat needs to be wiped out before they attack our, or any other, village."

"Will it just be us or will we have others joining our team?" Sakura asked, tucking the scroll into her pouch.

"Actually, Yamato and Sai are out in the northern territory of Fire Country right now," Kakashi replied, pulling out a second scroll and handing it to Naruto. "Give this to Yamato when you meet with him at the border of Fire and Hot Springs. From there, the five of you will move out to Lightning. I will be sending a missive to the Raikage requesting his hospitality before you head to the northern parts of their country where Sasuke met the rogues."

"Kakashi," Sasuke cut in, his visible eye narrowing, "they might not be in that area anymore."

"I figured they wouldn't," Kakashi responded, eyes crinkling at the sides, "and in your scroll are instructions on what to do in that situation. I am sure you are capable of tracking, so I have faith you can succeed if that problem should arise. Sakura will be acting captain, because she is the only jonin for now, but Sasuke will be leading you to where you need to go. Once you meet up with Yamato and Sai, Yamato will be taking charge from there."

"Yes, sir," the three replied in unison.

"I expect news of your progress in two weeks," Kakashi added, standing up straight and walking back to his chair. "If I don't hear word in three, I will send a team to Kumo to track you down and assist you. I have faith that you will take out this group before any conflict escalates. If what they are planning comes to fruition, then we can be looking at another war."

"Are these men as powerful as the Akatsuki?" Naruto asked, suddenly serious.

"That is up to interpretation," Sasuke answered before Kakashi could. "Everyone in this room has defeated at least one member of the Akatsuki. When I fought these men I can say with certainty that they did not put up as much of a fight as any Akatsuki member I had faced. But for all I know, they could have been grunts that had no say and their higher ups could be as powerful as Nagato himself."

"That is why I am sending you," Kakashi said. "We need to know how powerful and how serious of a threat this group is. We can't risk war due to complacency."

"Kakashi, if I may ask," Sakura interrupted, eyes narrowed and brow furrowed in concentration. "If these rogues are located in Lightning country, why are we handling the situation? Shouldn't shinobi from Kumo take care of it?"

All three men in the room turned to her and stared for a moment, then Naruto and Sasuke returned their gazes to Kakashi- waiting for his answer. Their teacher squinted in thought for a moment, measuring the words in his mind and the reasons behind their mission.

Sakura swallowed thickly. She understood why the Hokage would assign them this mission- these bandits attacked Sasuke and revealed plans to attack Konoha. It was only reasonable for Kakashi to send out a team to eliminate the problem before conflict festered. But these men were out in a different country and their plans have not been outright declared to the open. Sending Konoha shinobi into Lightning country might send the wrong impression. Even if Kakashi spoke with the Raikage and the alliance was honored, not everyone would get the message and cooperate by the time Team Seven crossed borders. For all she knew, the Raikage could still have a grudge against Sasuke despite his changing of sides during the war.

Surely he had his reasons.

"Because," Kakashi finally said, eyes closing in the way that meant he was smiling, "I know that you are the only ones in the shinobi world who can do this."

Since the briefing had basically ended, Team Seven began filing out of the Hokage's office- all beaming in their own way at Kakashi's praise. It wasn't often that the Hokage would declare them the only ones suited for such a task. Now, they were all prepared to head out together once more as a team. But to Sakura's slight surprise, they were stopped when Kakashi called out once more.

"Sasuke, can you stay for a minute? I need to speak with you."

Sakura watched as he paused in his steps, sighing as he closed his eyes in resignation and nodded at her and Naruto. They waved goodbye to Kakashi and closed the door behind them, leaving the two shinobi alone. Sakura was pretty tempted to press her ear against the door and strain to hear what Kakashi was saying to Sasuke, but she knew that Tsunade had the doors protected with a sound-proofing jutsu right near the end of her term. Too many nosy ninjas coming around and eavesdropping can prompt anyone to take such drastic measures for privacy.

Naruto groaned and pressed his back to the wall before sinking down and plopping on his behind. "Why couldn't Kakashi ask him whatever he wanted while we were in there? Now we have to wait and I want to _leave."_

"Be patient, Naruto," Sakura chided, rolling her eyes. "Whatever Kakashi had to ask, it must be important. And not for us to hear. So get over it and just-"

The door swung open and Sasuke strode out, face hard and lips pulled into a tight line. Instinct told her to back away from him and that angry look on his face, but she knew deep down there was really nothing to be worried about. Nothing Kakashi can say would ever make Sasuke go on a murdering spree.

"So what did Kakashi want?" Naruto asked, jumping up from his slumped position on the floor and to Sasuke's side.

Sasuke grunted and turned to walk down the hall. "Nothing to concern yourself with, dobe."

Both Naruto and Sakura frowned at him as he retreated out of their sight. Naruto grumbled under his breath something about shit friends, crossing his arms like a petulant child and stomping towards the exit. Sakura, on the other hand, just rolled her eyes and followed the two children out of the building. Remembering both of their famous tempers, she knew it was best not to comment on either of their attitudes.

Once the three were outside, Sakura followed Sasuke's lead towards her apartment where she could pick up her travel pack. Unlike Naruto, she didn't assume what Kakashi would ask of them and had left her already stuffed bag right by her front door. She admitted to herself that she assumed just in the tiniest bit that she would be travelling with Sasuke, but not enough out loud for the boys to see her eagerness. That's why her pack was still in her house and not on her back, like a certain knucklehead who was practically bouncing in his shoes behind her.

As soon as they arrived, she was in and out and they were on their way to the gates of the village. They all picked up their pace and pretty soon they were in the forests surrounding the village. Sasuke was the first to leap up into the trees and dart to the northeast, Naruto following closely behind and Sakura on his tail. Eventually they settled into a three-man triangle formation with Sasuke at the head, Naruto to his back left and Sakura to his back right.

It would take them a day and a half to get to the border of Fire and Hot Springs if they kept at this pace, and Sasuke showed no signs of wanting to let up and rest. It was already midday when they left the village and before they knew it the sun was starting to set over the distant trees.

Sakura wasn't about to ask Sasuke to stop. She knew he would decline and quite possibly push harder to get to Sai's and Yamato's location before sunrise, even if that was almost impossible. According to the map Kakashi had given Naruto, Team Seven wouldn't reach them until at least midday tomorrow, and that's if they don't stop to rest for longer than an hour.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto had shouted right around twilight. "Let's stop and rest up! We need to eat something other than soldier pills!"

Surprisingly, Sasuke didn't argue and almost immediately halted on a tree branch. Both Naruto and Sakura sped past him and had to completely stop themselves from toppling over some branches and falling to the understory of the forest. Sakura could have sworn she heard Sasuke chuckle at Naruto flailing his arms about to regain his balance, but it was gone immediately after it happened.

Sometimes she wondered if Sasuke did that on purpose.

As soon as they landed on the ground, Sasuke began walking away towards the edge of the clearing. "I'll keep watch. You two get something to eat and rest your legs. We set out again in an hour."

"What about you?" Sakura asked, looking up from her pack.

Sasuke turned and flashed her a granola bar he must have pulled out from his pack. Without a word, he shook it once and continued walking away and leapt up into the trees once more.

She knew he wouldn't be out earshot, but she couldn't help but look at Naruto and say in a low voice, "Is it me or has Sasuke changed a lot?"

Sakura imagined Sasuke bristling- and giggled in her head at the thought of his long hair actually standing up on end like a bird rustling its feathers.

Naruto just shrugged, his mouth pulled into a frown and eyebrows pushed together. The little whisker marks on his face were drooping with the corners of his lips. "We all have changed since we were kids, Sakura. War and the shinobi life does that to people."

"That's not what I meant, Naruto," she sighed softly, rubbing her temple. She pulled out a meal bar and leaned back against the trunk of a tree. "I mean, since he left the last time. There's something... I don't know... just different about him. It's not a bad different, just... it's hard to explain."

Naruto stared at her, pausing before he ripped open an MRE and began prepping it. "Maybe he's always been this way and neither one of us really had the chance to know him in this sense. Remember that when we all became a team, he was already hell-bent on his revenge. Now he no longer has that driving him and his conscience is clear. No one is controlling him or manipulating him to do what they want. He does what he wants now without the darkness. The Sasuke we are travelling with now is the _real_ Sasuke... The one before he lost everything."

Sakura nodded slowly and swallowed her food. "He's still Sasuke. And we still love him."

Naruto took a big bite of his food and grinned at her with full cheeks. "You sai' it, Sa'ura!"

At that moment, Sakura imagined Sasuke smiling, because she hoped with all of her heart that he believed her.

* * *

 _tbc._

* * *

 ** _A/N_** _an MRE is a "Meal Ready to Eat." It's pretty self-explanatory. But these things are full meals that can be eaten anywhere without heating appliances and it doesn't need to be refrigerated. They're not the best but you can literally slip them in your backpack and you're done._


	5. Chapter Four

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or it's characters._

 ** _A/N_** _Okay so I managed to squeeze out the time to write this chapter before I leave for my Mary Kay seminar next week. So enjoy and I'll be back in August!_

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

The rain had stopped, but the air was still thick and heavy, making it hard to breathe. It was almost like the sky was waiting for the right time to pour once more. Perhaps it would start once the sun went down entirely, letting lightning fill the night and the trail in which they would travel. Or maybe it would wait until the sun rose again, leaving the sky dark and letting the earth be drenched in an elongated night.

Either way, Sakura hated this storm.

Sasuke returned to their makeshift campsite about twenty minutes after he claimed he would go take watch, a fierce scowl on his face and an aura of pure agitation surrounding him. When Naruto stood and went to ask him what was wrong, he quickly told him to shut up and proceeded to order that they were leaving. Sakura was tempted to get to the bottom of his sudden grumpy behavior, but as soon as that thought came it seemed like Sasuke read her mind and leveled an icy glare at her before he jumped into the trees.

Naruto turned to her and shrugged before he followed suit and leapt up as well.

Sakura felt like Sasuke's irritation was stemming from the fact that they stopped for a breather when he knew they were all perfectly able to keep going through the night. She herself thought they should have waited another few hours to stop so they could have eaten and set up camp simultaneously, but Sasuke surprisingly didn't protest Naruto at the time. Perhaps he thought it over while he was standing guard and became frustrated that he let Naruto barely goad him into stopping.

Sasuke was way ahead of both her and Naruto, moving steady enough to maintain the same distance from them without them gaining on him or losing sight of him. It seemed like all Sasuke would do was keep distance between himself and his friends. But it was always fickle, because there would be the times that Sasuke would let her or Naruto in and it would be so groundbreaking that neither of them really knew what to do.

 _"It was Itachi."_

 _Sakura looked up from the clean bandages she was currently wrapping around Sasuke's amputated arm. "What?"_

 _"Itachi," he said dazedly, a mix from the drugs he had been given and being lost in thought. "He was the reason I came back to defend the Leaf... I knew you were wondering why."_

 _She blinked a few times, shellshocked, and then finished wrapping up his arm before she finally looked him in the eyes. "What did Itachi do to change your mind?"_

 _Sasuke looked down to his lap and frowned as he concentrated on the single hand resting there. "I found him on my way out of Madara's hideout. I chased him down and demanded answers for what Madara had told me... But he was too focused on finding Kabuto to end the Edo Tensei, so he wouldn't tell me anything. He let me follow him, which shocked me. Together we faced down Kabuto, and Itachi controlled him so he would end the Edo Tensei. When Itachi's spirit was starting to leave the material body, he showed me what happened and why he did everything he did... Why he didn't tell me..."_

 _Sakura saw a single tear fall down Sasuke's cheek and she hurriedly went up to wipe it away. He flinched when she touched him, but made not other signs of opposing her touching him._

 _He sighed and continued, "He killed my entire clan because Danzo and Lord Third ordered him to so a coup wouldn't happen. He did it to ensure peace for the entire village."_

 _She couldn't stop the gasp that left her lips and Sasuke's eyes darted to her as she cupped her hands over her mouth. She didn't want him to see her reaction; it could make him more upset. It wasn't her place to feel pity for him. And even the shock she failed to disguise wasn't something she should feel. It was the life of a shinobi to keep peace within one's own village. Itachi's sacrifice was extreme, but if he hadn't civil war would have broken out in Konoha. Civil war in a village would give other hidden villages the opportunity to attack._

 _What Itachi did was an extreme measure that easily could have been avoided if the Council had done their job right. And the way he did it had ruined his brother for life._

 _"To me, it didn't change my mind that it was an order by the village," he continued, staring off into space with a concentrated look on his face. "I spoke with the Reanimated Hokages before they were sent out to the battlefield... It was them who reaffirmed in my mind that what Itachi believed was right, and so I decided to take the same path and protect the Leaf."_

 _"You didn't really approach that in the best way," Sakura mumbled, not realizing she had blurted that out until Sasuke cast her a scathing glare. "Sorry, but you didn't really think it through, did you?"_

 _"I felt like I did at the time," he growled, moving his arms as if to cross them over his chest but they fell once he remembered he couldn't quite do that with only one full arm. "Look, I messed up. And there's really nothing I can do about it now."_

 _"You can ask for forgiveness," she suggested. "Work to gain everyone's trust again. Help abolish the unsavory ideals in the shinobi system from the inside. Itachi wouldn't have wanted you to want the entire shinobi world to hate you, and he wouldn't have wanted you to kill the only people you could call family now. The best you can do to honor his memory is do whatever it takes to protect the Leaf, no matter what."_

 _Sasuke frowned at her, then turned away to look out the window. Sakura didn't miss the way his face pinched ever so slightly, or the second tear that fell from his eye. She made sure not to mention it._

 _"Maybe you're right," he whispered. "I'll do that... One step at a time."_

"Sakura! Are you even paying attention?"

She blinked a few times and looked over to see Naruto staring at her with a quizzical look on his face. She shook her head and gave Naruto a reassuring smile, a silent affirmation that she was okay. But when she met his eyes and they both looked forward to Sasuke, she could tell he knew what she had been thinking about that entire time.

* * *

Sasuke stopped at the edge of a clearing right when the moon was reaching the highest point in the sky. As soon as Sakura and Naruto finally caught up to him, he said over his shoulder, "We'll stop here until dawn. Get some sleep."

"What about you?" Sakura piped up, dropping to the ground and pulling off her bag. She squatted down and began pulling her sleeping bag out to lay on the ground. "You kept watch during our last break. Rest a bit and I'll take first watch."

Sasuke dropped to the forest floor and shook his head as he approached her. "No. I'll take first watch and Naruto can relieve me. You're the medic and you need to be at your top strength in the instance that we get attacked."

Sakura stood up straight and stared him down, getting that proud look in her eyes that just screamed defiance to him. It was kind of hot. Luckily, she missed the way his eyes widened at that thought and she continued, "And I am acting Captain of this mission until we find Yamato and Sai, so as your leader I am ordering you to go to sleep!"

He frowned at her, noticing how she was on the verge of letting out a yawn and stumbling in her spot. They had been travelling almost all day, not to mention he had kept her up last night to heal him. Sakura needed her rest and he was about to force her to go lay down before Naruto stepped in.

"How about I take first watch and you both get some sleep?" he suggested, clapping his hands on their shoulders. The irony of him placing his right hand on Sasuke wasn't lost on him. He frowned at his friend before Naruto continued, "That way you can both get some rest and stop bickering like an old married couple. I'll just wake up Sasuke in a couple of hours and we can switch, okay?"

The pair glared at their friend, Sakura probably unwilling to let Naruto come up with such a logical way to get Sasuke to rest. But Sasuke knew she would still decline, being the selfless brat she was when it came to him, and suggest that she take the second watch instead. And, of course, Sasuke would tell her that wasn't going to happen. She slept at the kitchen table the night before. There was no way in hell she wasn't getting a full night's sleep and it was already getting late.

She wouldn't give in unless he used force.

Huffing, Sasuke stomped over to Sakura without another word and hooked his arm around her waist, then hefted her up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Her surprised squeals and shouts fell on deaf ears as he carried her over to wear her backpack had laid half-open with her sleeping bag hanging out.

"Sakura, you'll alert people of our location if you don't stop shouting," he said calmly, with a hint of humor. She was acting like a child, punching his back weakly and kicking her legs around so much that she kept hitting him in the stomach and legs. The fact that he knew she was perfectly capable of punching him hard enough to send him flying across the clearing, yet didn't even hit hard enough now to bruise, further proved how tired she was. She narrowly missed his crotch- for which he was thanking Kami above that she did- and finally stopped when he shifted her weight with a jolt. Unfortunately for him, now her ass was right next to his face and he felt a sudden embarrassment and fear that he might have just done something very stupid.

He had to mentally slap himself and will his cheeks not to turn red.

After Sasuke stopped in front of her things, he gently slid her off of his shoulder and onto her feet. She glared up at him once she was sturdy on the ground and gave him a haughty pout. "I am leading the team during this mission. I don't see why you won't listen to me."

From behind Sasuke, Naruto shouted out, "When have we _ever_ listened to you, Sakura-chan?"

 _"Don't leave me! If you do, I'll scream!"_

Sasuke felt his eye twitch but he pushed down that memory before it had the chance to form. Instead he took a deep breath and looked Sakura earnestly in the eyes. "Let's just let Naruto take first watch. That way you get your way and I get mine."

Sakura crossed her arms and frowned. "And then he's going to wake you up for second watch and it'll no longer be my way."

He couldn't stop the chuckle from leaving his lips before he said, "What, are we children? Just go get some sleep and we'll set out first thing in the morning, like we planned."

For a long moment, they stared at each other. He could tell she wanted to decline but was fighting with the knowledge that she would be of no use to them if she was tired. Sasuke was used to not sleeping much, having to watch his own back during his travels, and Naruto could get just twenty minutes of sleep and run for hours afterwards without tiring. She was the medic of the team, and the doctor in her knew that she needed the sleep, as well. He could see it in her eyes as she slowly gave in and nodded at him once.

"Have it your way," she sighed before turning away from him and bending over to fix her sleeping bag.

Sasuke turned to Naruto, nodded at him once and walked over to a tree to lay against. Ever since he stopped associating himself with Orochimaru, Sasuke had grown used to laying against trees when he slept instead of the forest floor. It helped him stay aware while he dozed and it was easier for him to jump up and fight than if he was laying on the ground.

He watched as Sakura got comfortable- well as comfortable as one could get in this situation- and caught her eyes as she rolled over. She stared at him, something contemplative in her eyes, and she gave him a small smile before her eyes fluttered closed and her breathing soon evened out. He could imagine what she was thinking in that moment- that she could never have guessed two days ago that she would be travelling with him, going on a mission with him for the first time in six years. How it was surreal being in his presence once more without it being strained or hostile. How she missed him so much and was so incredibly glad that she got to see him again.

Because that's how he was feeling, too.

* * *

"Sasuke... Sasuke... Yo, teme, wake up!"

Sasuke's eyes shot open and it took every ounce of self-control to not grab Naruto's neck and throttle him. That may have been the best sleep Sasuke had gotten in over a decade. He could have sworn he was actually having a normal dream instead of the typical nightmare.

It was odd, it was refreshing.

It was ruined by Naruto's obnoxious voice.

He glared at his friend and was about to demand why Naruto had woken him up, but he was silenced by Naruto staring him down with the most ridiculous look on his face, like he was trying to pass off as being serious but couldn't manage to keep himself poised.

"What is it?"

Naruto frowned and his eyes narrowed. "What's up with you?"

Sasuke frowned and readjusted himself so he was sitting up straight. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you're acting weird around Sakura-chan. Actually, you're just acting weird in general. What's going on?"

Sasuke scoffed and looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You've been in a mood since we got back on the trail. And before that, too."

A dark scowl stretched over Sasuke's face. "A _mood_?"

"Yeah, like you were really grumpy- well grumpier than usual- and were being kind of rude. And you were really closed-off in the village before. Is something up?"

Unable to stop himself, Sasuke looked over Naruto's shoulder at Sakura. He sighed, closing his eyes and shaking his head, and said softly, "No. Nothing's wrong. Sorry I worried you."

The look on Naruto's face was skeptical, at best, and he refrained from saying anything further. Instead, he placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and stated quietly, "Look, if there's something up, you can always tell me. You didn't before and you know what happened. Just... trust me enough to tell me what's on your mind, okay?"

Sasuke stared at him for a long moment. He couldn't figure out if he should really admit to Naruto what was troubling him, especially since it was this whole situation that was making him feel this way. There was nothing Naruto could say or do that would make him feel better.

 _"He's still Sasuke. And we still love him."_

The question pestering his mind was, why should they?

* * *

It was midway through his watch that Sasuke felt her approach him. He knew she would do this; come to tell him that he needed rest and that she should take watched. And he also knew that he would decline and remain steady in his vigil over their campsite. It wasn't predictable, it was just inevitable that she would choose her concern for him over her own well-being and he would retain his stubbornness that she didn't need to.

"Sasuke-kun."

"Hn?"

She sat down next to him, close enough for him to feel the warmth of her body on his right arm. The heaviness of the atmosphere was sinking on their shoulders and Sasuke wondered if the thickness of the air was why Sakura had woken up.

"How are you feeling?"

Sasuke shrugged and took a deep breath. "I'm fine."

Sakura nodded absently, looking out towards the darkness of the forest. "Right..."

He kept staring forward, doing his best to avoid having her in his eyesight. She had the uncanny ability to get under that facade of his that kept everyone else at an arm's length. Best for him to not even look at her and actually tell him what's going on in his head, why he's been in- as Naruto so lovingly said- a _mood._

"Look, Sasuke-" her leaving off her usual affectionate honorific grabbed his attention, "- I know it's been a while since we've all been a team, and you're used to doing things on your own, but I think you should try to work a little better with Naruto and me. I know it's going to take some time to get used to each other again... and we're so happy to be with you again... We- well actually, I think this more than Naruto for sure- I think it'll be best for the mission if we cooperate like we did when we were genin."

The entire time she spoke, Sasuke stared at her with apt attention. She thought _that_ was why he was acting the way he did? She honestly thought he was in a mood because he wasn't used to working on a team anymore? It took all of his effort not to laugh at her. She turned to him then and their eyes locked.

 _"You're going to need surgery."_

 _He didn't look at her. Instead, he stared at the sheets pooled at his waist and the way only one hand was balled in a fist there._

 _"The bone of your humerus is shattered and splintered where the bone was severed," she continued, flipping through the papers of his chart. "There are some shards of bone we had to remove in the field but upon further examination we've concluded that more splintering and breaking can occur if not properly tended to. Basically we'll need to remove about another inch or two of bone- depending on how brittle that bone is- and we'll have to put in screws where the fractures are. We've scheduled your surgery for tomorrow afternoon, but it won't take long..."_

 _She kept talking, but Sasuke didn't respond. Instead he waited until she left him alone and laid down as soon as his room was empty. He rolled over and stared out his open window, wanting so desperately to leave. He was itching to move, to get out of here like his life depended on it. But he was stuck in this stupid hospital with a bum arm and nothing else._

 _The door opened and he recognized Sakura's chakra signature entering. She was alone, thankfully, but she must have assumed he was sleeping. His back was to the door, so he wouldn't doubt it appeared that way. So he just evened out his breathing and closed his eyes._

 _He really couldn't deal with her right now._

 _"I know you're sleeping, Sasuke-kun," she whispered. Her hand gently laid on his shoulder, her thumb rubbing him softly before she kept talking. "And I know it's a bad time to come talk to you. Tsunade told me of your condition, and I know this puts a damper on your plans of getting out of here... I wish I could make things better for you... There was nothing I could do for you in the field. Naruto didn't have this problem but for some reason you're having more complications. It could even explain your fever, because your body is trying to reject the disconnected pieces and heal the broken bone, but it can't because it's just too badly damaged. I'm rambling, I know, but you can't really hear me and I just wanted to talk about this to you, but I knew you wouldn't listen if I said it to you while you were awake. Shishou already said you were barely giving her any attention when she was in here... I guess it's just so much of a shock to hear that you're going to lose even more of your arm... It must be tough..."_

 _Her hand left his shoulder as Sasuke heard her sniff. Then there was the distinct sound of his chart being lifted from the bedside table and the paper being shifted back. For a moment, the only sound in his room was the chirping of the birds outside- a sound that was making him flinch, honestly. Why did he still have that stupid window open if all he could hear was those wretched birds with their stupid chirping?_

 _Sasuke felt the burning of tears in his eyes as shame washed over him like a tidal wave. He hated that stupid noise. He hated this whole situation. He hated that there was nothing he could do about everything, how he truly felt that he deserved the punishment he was served justly. He hated that Sakura was worrying so much about him that she sounded tired and worn down._

 _He wanted to tell her to leave him alone for a little bit- not that he didn't enjoy her company. He would just rather be alone right now. But turning around, revealing he was awake, and hurting her feelings just seemed to harsh for him right now. Plus, in his state he probably needed two arms to roll over in the first place._

 _And he didn't have that anymore._

 _"Sasuke-kun, I want to help you..._

"You just need to _let_ me help you, okay?"

He blinked a few times, still staring at her a little dazedly. She had been talking to him but he was too busy reminiscing about a day in the past. She was looking up at him with a small smile, her eyes full of hope and a little bit of longing. It was a look she favored whenever she was speaking to him, especially since he showed up on her doorstep yesterday.

Sighing, Sasuke looked down to where his half-arm laid uselessly against his side. "I know."

"Are you going to try?"

Her tone was teasing, but there was genuine curiosity and apprehension as well. She wanted to help him so badly, she always had, and now was the opportune time to let her. He hadn't let anyone help him in the past and things never really worked out for him. Maybe now would be a good chance to change his ways and let her in.

He nodded once and tentatively reached over with his hand and clasped it over where hers were interlocked on her knees. Her small gasp wasn't loud, but he heard it clear enough to feel the need to spare her a glance. In the dimness of the night, Sakura's cheeks still were bright red and her glowing green eyes were wide. She kept staring at where his hand was on hers and her mouth was open softly.

She looked beautiful.

"I will try," he said quietly, his voice barely carrying over the sounds of the night. "Just... give me some time, okay?"

Sakura beamed and turned her hand over, sliding her fingers in between his and squeezing him slightly. "I will give you as much time as you need."

For some reason, it didn't seem like he would need that much at all.

* * *

 _tbc._


	6. Update

Here's the deal readers,

Today is the last day of August, and I still haven't gotten back on track with this story. It will be finished, I assure you, but not for a while. So until further notice, _When the Last Leaf Falls_ will be marked as complete, but will be on hiatus until I can figure out what to do with it. I know how it will end, just not how I will get there. So please stick with me and I will let you all know when the story is back in "production."

For now, some one-shots will be churned out and I will be finishing _Jagged Edge_ , my new Zutara fic, by the end of this year.

Until then, attend well.

Pearlynn.


End file.
